July 15, 2026 - Union Plus recently awarded $300,000 in scholarships to 181 students representing 42 unions, including one winner representing the United Mineworkers of America (UMWA). This year’s group of scholarship recipients includes university, college, and trade or technical school students from 42 states and one U.S. territory. The UMWA winner is:

• Bailey Jean Smith of Letart, West Virginia. Smith, whose mother, Sally Smith, is a member of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, a UMWA affiliate, has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship. Bailey was a 2025 Union Plus Scholarship recipient.

“We are honored to recognize this year’s Union Plus Scholarship award winners,” Union Plus President Mitch Stevens said. “As we celebrate Union Plus’s 40th anniversary this year, we are proud to note that the Union Plus Scholarship Program has provided over $6.2 million in scholarships to support the educational goals of union families.”

Meet the 2026 UMWA Honoree

Bailey Jean Smith

West Virginia University (WVU) at Parkersburg

Wahama High School (WHS), Mason, West Virginia (2025)

Bailey is a nursing student at West Virginia University at Parkersburg and expects to graduate in December 2027. She hopes to one day work in a pediatric or neonatal intensive care unit. Bailey is passionate about serving the people of West Virginia’s Ohio River Valley and completed the most volunteer hours (433) of her high school senior class. WVU Extension Agent Lorrie Wright has worked with Bailey through Mason County 4-H for more than a decade. “Bailey has excelled in both club activities and project work,” Wright said. “She is a diligent, reliable student who consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and leadership qualities.”

Sally Smith, Bailey’s mother, is a member of the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association, an affiliate of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). Bailey’s father, Samuel “Chad” Smith, is a U.S. Army veteran and is a member of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5568, as were her grandfather and great-grandfather. “My family has always taught me that being part of a union is a good choice,” Bailey said. “I am so happy to be part of a union family, and I plan to work for a unionized hospital.”

Activities: National Honor Society; National Technical Honor Society; SkillsUSA; 4-H Sugar Maples;

WHS Softball; WHS Cheer

Honors: WVU Parkersburg president’s list; multiple local scholarships; 4-H All Star, Charting pins;

4-H Key Award; SkillsUSA Leadership Award; WHS honor roll

Volunteerism: Order of the Eastern Star Mason Chapter 157; Mason County Fair; Tennessee flood relief drive; Mason City Park tree planting; nursing home visitation; cemetery cleanup

Learn More About the Union Plus Scholarship Program

The Union Plus Scholarship Program, now in its 35th year, awards scholarships based on outstanding academic achievement, personal character, financial need, and commitment to the values of organized labor. The program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation.

Since starting the program in 1991, Union Plus has awarded more than $6.2 million in educational funding to more than 4,400 union members, spouses, and dependent children. Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school, or recognized technical or trade school. The selection process is exceptionally competitive: 6,335 applications were received this year from 68 unions and all 50 states, the District of Columbia, three U.S. territories, and five Canadian provinces.

Visit unionplus.org/scholarship for applications and benefit eligibility. 

About Union Plus

Union Plus, founded by the AFL-CIO in 1986, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Over the last four decades, Union Plus has used the collective buying power of America’s nearly 15 million union members to deliver top-quality benefits and services at competitive prices to working families. Programs include financial services, hardship help, and money-saving benefits, including exclusive everyday discounts on wireless service, travel, and more.

Additional education programs include the Union Plus College Program and the Union Plus Student Debt Navigator. The College Program offers exclusive tuition discounts, financial aid, and grants, providing union members and their families with the opportunity to earn affordable, online degrees and certificates. The Student Debt Navigator is a tool that can help student loan borrowers lower monthly payments and navigate loan forgiveness programs.

Visit unionplus.org to explore Union Plus’s 30-plus benefits.